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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25113598">Their love is written in the stars.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thehedgehogat221b/pseuds/Thehedgehogat221b'>Thehedgehogat221b</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Zeerleah [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cheating, Childhood Friends, Complicated Relationships, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Jealous Anakin Skywalker, Love Triangles, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Strong Language, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:02:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,198</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25113598</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thehedgehogat221b/pseuds/Thehedgehogat221b</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zeerleah Phys left the Jedi Order Five years ago. </p><p>Acting as a mercenary, she has little opinion on the on going war between the Republic and the Separatists.  </p><p>But when one day she gets a random transmission from her former Jedi Master, calling for her help, she knows things must be bad. </p><p>Returning to the order, she reconnects with old friends and gains new ones. </p><p>But the droid war isn't the only conflict she has to deal with.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anakin Skywalker/Original Female Character(s), Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Zeerleah [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819060</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter one</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Incoming transmission.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The frigate didn’t fly as smoothly as Zeerleah would prefer, being sat in the back, she had to find a corner to sit in so she didn’t slide about. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The transmitter on her wrist starts to flicker, An incoming voice message.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Odd, she doesn’t let anyone contact her, easier that way, she isn’t even sure why she bought a transmitter in the first place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She presses play. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zeerleah.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Her heart stops, its the voice of her former Jedi mentor,</span> <span>a </span><span>humorless old Togruta named Suranod Kana, they hadn’t parted on the best of terms, so it was concerning for him to contact her. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was something horribly wrong that he needed her?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If this message finds you, then my sources are correct..” There’s a pause “We need you Zeerleah..the order needs you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The order? What could they possibly want with her? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, return to the temple.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Master Kana’s voice is soft, like it had been when he taught her, he was not a man to raise his voice, even when she messed up during lessons. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a pang of guilt, something shes been trying to ignore ever since she left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, not left, ran away, like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The message ends, Master Kana always was a man of few words, yet his point was across. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t blind, she had seen the effects of the droid wars, She had selfishly used it to her advantage, more people are looking to hire an armed guard with a war raging. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That's what she was now, A gun for hire, a mercenary. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t deserve the name of Jedi, they were people who protected the scared and defenseless, not scammed them out of credits. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She deletes the message and pushes away the screaming guilt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her lightsaber in the bottom of her knapsack almost seems to be whispering through the fabric at her:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Coward’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She kicks the back, the whispering stops.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, to return to the order would cause more problems.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shes better off as she is.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter two.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Night time thoughts.</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another night, another cheap, uncomfortable cot in a filthy bunkhouse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah has just enough energy to kick off her boots and undress before collapsing on to the thin mattress. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She falls asleep easily, exhausted from the journey, her dreams are vivid. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“When I grow up I’m gonna be a Jedi Knight.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Me too Ani!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Anakin Skywalker and Zeerleah Phys, Protectors of the galaxy!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah’s eyes fly open. Her room is dark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her heart feels like its being ripped in two.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had been friends since childhood, ever since Anakin had been brought to the order, they had grown up together, their bond was unbreakable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or at least it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she left the Jedi Temple, She hadn’t informed him of her plans to leave, she knew he’d never agree, The order was his whole life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He never quite understood why she wanted to leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he knew where he was from, knew the name of his mother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t even have that, from birth all she knew was the order and its teachings.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was suffocating, she needed to escape, to see what was out there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She flicks on the lights, was this the world she so desperately wanted to see? Sleeping only a few hours a night and living on one meal a day? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m crazy.” Zeerleah speaks aloud to herself as she stands up “Utterly crazy..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She redresses </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatta my plans?” She sighs “Hope Kana takes me back?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She runs a hand along her Lekku, a nervous habit she's had since she was a child. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Or stay here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The dingy room looked even worse in the harsh white light, she dreaded to even think what the stains on the walls were. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve lost it Phys..” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She puts on her boots</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Utterly gone bonkers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grabbing her knapsack off the floor, she slings it over her shoulder, Hopefully she can find a ship to take her to </span>
  <span>Coruscant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To take her home.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter three</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Homecoming. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Jedi Temple was quiet, some would say peaceful, but Zeerleah found it eerie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She spent fifteen years here, knows every corridor, knows every hiding space where she used to hide rather than study. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A helpful lady, who she didn’t recognise told her that Master Kana is in the gardens, which came as no surprise, he was fond of the plants and the sounds of water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Master Kana was sitting on a bench on the fair side of the room, it seemed an eternity for Zeerleah to walk towards him, her footsteps seemed the loudest thing on Earth as they echoed off the marble. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zeerleah.” Master Kano greets, without opening his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Master.” She bowed her head slightly, force of habit. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t expect you to arrive quite so soon.” Master Kano opens his eyes, the bright yellow feels like it can see Zeerleah’s very soul.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your message seemed urgent.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sit.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She follows her Masters command, all though, were they still master and apprentice? After all that had happened.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Master….I-I-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Master Kano stops her by raising a hand “I’m sure you had your reasons for being absent for so long, but you are here now.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Master Kano had always been placid, even when Zeerleah would mess up during lessons, he never raised his voice, never scolded her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was completely neutral, almost to a fault. She had a better guess trying to read the emotions of a rock than try and figure him out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I must admit, I was surprised when news reached me of a Red skinned Twi’lek Mercenary.” He pauses “One thing that made me sure it was you, was when someone mentioned violet eyes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been spying on me then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Master Kano smiles, a rare sight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Someone had to make sure you didn’t get yourself killed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why have you summoned me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To see if you would return.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah rolls her eyes, good to know that the old man hasn’t changed in her absence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And now that I have?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m assuming you’re aware of the current war.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nods.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then that is your answer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She narrows her eyes, What does she have to do with the war? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can’t be serious...unless…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You want me to fight for the republic?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What I want doesn’t matter.” He meets her eyes, the yellow is almost blinding as she stares into them. “You wouldn’t have returned unless you had a reason.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s right, the reason she returned was out of guilt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All her life she had been trained to protect people, and she was wasting it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had left her Master, a man who had done nothing but share knowledge and kindness with her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She left her best, no only, friend without so much as a goodbye. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t used my lightsaber since I left..” She sighs “I’m not even sure I remember how.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yet you kept it, You could have sold it for a hefty sum of credits.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Again, he’s right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Say I do fight..” She clears her throat “Will...Will I be able to receive training again?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have already spoken to the council.” Again, He smiles “I will be your teacher.”   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I suppose you're stuck with me again, Master.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter four</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Reunited.</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next few days were mostly Zeerleah settling into her new living space at the Temple, Master Kano dropped by and reminded her of how to use her lightsaber each morning for a few hours.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Otherwise, she was left alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Having a comfortable bed and warm water was such a distant memory she might have cried during her first shower.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She even had a fresh pair of clothes, A long sleeved dark red shirt and black leather trousers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Among a wardrobe full of robes, which isn’t quite Zeerleah’s style. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’s sitting down with a mug of tea when there’s a knock at the door, She sighs and sets down her mug, of course now Master Kano would want her, just as she gets comfortable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door slides open, revealing a figure dressed in all black jedi robes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Heard you were back.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His voice was different, had finally broken and become that of a man. He’d grown too, he was now taller than her, she’d always teased him over that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ani!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She almost throws her arms around him in a hug but stops herself</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I mean..” she clears her throat, feeling the heat rising to her cheeks “Anakin, good to see ya.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I come in?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to see for myself that you were back, make sure Kano hadn’t gone senile.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smiles, not really sure how to act, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s grown his hair long, its now shoulder length, it suited him, as did the scar over his eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m here...in the flesh.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For a while….I thought you were dead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s the familiar pang of guilt in Zeerleah’s heart </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You won’t get rid of me that easily.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How long have you been back?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looks around the room, avoiding eye contact. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About a week.” Zeerleah stares at her feet, This is awkward. “I-I expected to see you sooner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been away.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At last he looks at her, he still has the same crystal blue eyes, the same shade as his lightsaber, Even that they had in common.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both their lightsabers matched their eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had to give a report to the council..” He shrugs “I’m sorta a general now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiles and the tension in the room disappears, it's like no time has passed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Zeerleah raises her eyebrows “La-dee-da General Skywalker, would you like me to curtsey?”   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well now you mention it..” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both laugh, Anakin’s laugh brings with it a thousand memories.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Memories of sitting in each other's room after curfew, trying their best not to laugh too loud to get themselves into trouble.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or sitting on the roof of the temple with a few bottles of alcohol taken from Master Kenobi’s personal stash.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah wonders if Anakin still turns pink when he's drunk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For what it's worth, Which I know ain’t much..” Zeerleah pauses “I’m sorry I ran away and left you”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re kidding right?” he chuckles “Been trying to get rid of you since we met.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“General and comedian?” Zeerleah smirks “What other talents have you gained?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t meant to be flirty, but it sort of...happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flirty banter had always been a thing between them, but Jedi aren’t supposed to form attachments.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even a friendship like theirs most likely had a few heads turning, That's part of the reason she wanted to get away, she needed to experience life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you’ll find out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah is surprised, she didn’t expect a response.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Truth is, Even Anakin is surprised, but Zeerleah seems to have that effect on him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Has she always had such bright eyes? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m seeing about having you assigned to my ship..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You;ve gotta ship and all?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The </span>
  <span>Resolute.” There’s a hint of pride in Anakin’s voice “You’ll like it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re on it?” Zeerleah grins “I doubt it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin walks back towards the door “I’ve gotta go, General duties and all..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Yeah I get it.” Zeerleah lightly punches his arm as he walks past  “You’re important.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he walks into the hallway she smiles at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Uhh...don’t be a stranger.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you Leah.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter five</span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">Promises. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“Did you know that Anakin was a General?” </p><p> </p><p>Master Kano had been wondering if General Skywalker had seeked her out after he told him of her return. After all, when Zeerleah left, it was him who had to break the bad news. </p><p>“I did, yes.” Master Kano sits down once again on the stone bench, he had been teaching her some lightsaber techniques and his old bones needed rest. “But I was uncertain if you still cared about the boy.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Zeerleah could feel the lecture coming, Her master's constant scolding that Jedi aren’t supposed to form attachments is one of the reasons she left in the first place. </p><p> </p><p>How can you know someone since childhood and not develop an attachment?  </p><p> </p><p>“More like you hoped I don’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“I thought maybe he was the reason you left.” </p><p> </p><p>Zeerleah feels the heart rush to her cheeks, What did that mean? What were people saying? </p><p> </p><p>“Master..” she pauses, she can hardly believe she has to say this “Nothing more than friendship was going on between Ani and I.”</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately.</p><p> </p><p>Zeerleah kept that last word to herself.</p><p> </p><p>“I know.” Master Kano smiles “Which is why I’ve given my permission for you to be transferred to General Skywalker's ship.”   </p><p> </p><p>Zeerleah grins “Thank you Master.”</p><p> </p><p>“I am putting a great deal of trust in you.” </p><p> </p><p>Master Kano meets Zeerleah’s eyes with a serious stare, his black eyes looking like some polished stone.</p><p> </p><p>“Do not disappoint me.”  </p><p> </p><p>“I won’t master.” </p><p> </p><p>Zeerleah stares into her lap, where her hands are folded.</p><p> </p><p>She disappointed Master Kano once, she won’t do it again, she promises.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter six</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>The Padawan</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was with a slight feeling of sadness that Zeerleah once again packed up her things to leave the Jedi Temple, she had just got used to the feeling of being there again, being home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“General Skywalker's Padawan will be accompanying you to the Resolute.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Master Kano had come to go say goodbye, and remind Zeerleah that she was heading into war and too be careful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If Zeerleah didn’t know better, she would think the old man was worried about her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He has a padawan?” Zeerleah blinks in surprise, the idea of Anakin teaching anyone anything is mind blowing. “Who let Ani become a teacher?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The smallest smile flickers across Master Kano’s face “He is quite talented in the ways of the force, even if he does tend to act before he thinks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turns to Zeerleah </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like a certain Twi’Lek I know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You really think I’m talented?” Zeerleah asks, completely ignoring the latter half of the sentence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Master Kano just smiles</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well...I shall leave you, Skywalkers Padawan should be waiting for you at the landing dock.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah wants to hug him, give him a proper goodbye, like he deserves, rather she clasps her hands in front of her and bows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hopefully I’ll see you soon.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hopefully.” Master Kano bows back “May the Force be with you Zeerleah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“May the force be with you, Master.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>X</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The landing pad was fairly empty, It dawned on Zeerleah as she looked through the small groups of droids and visitors to the temple that she had no idea what this Padawan looked like.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Damnit, They could be anyone..” She mumbles, sitting on a crate, she was so taken back by Master Kano’s compliment she forgot to ask the important question. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zeerleah Phys?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A high pitched voice asks, Zeerleah looks up, standing in front of her is a young Togruta girl, about fourteen, with big blue eyes and a friendly smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“General Skywalker sent me..to escort you to his ship.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re the padawan?”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ashoka Tano, at your service.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah smiles and stands up, The girl reminds her a lot of herself at the same age. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A pleasure.” Zeerleah extends a hand </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka shakes it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They start walking towards a ship</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did you know who I was?” Zeerleah asks, adjusting her backpack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not many red twi’leks around.” Ashoka responds </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah is reminded about how unusual she is yet again, it's a common thing, most of her kin are blue or green, normally red skin is associated with the Sith or people with questionable mortality. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not that..its a bad thing, Ma’am.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah laughs ‘Ma’am’ nobody has ever called her ma’am in her entire life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry...Just..” She clears her throat “Never been called ma’am before.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do people usually call you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah chuckles “Nothing I can repeat around you.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka frowns </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a child you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah nods, Anakin’s influence was becoming clear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course not, but I doubt Skywalker wants you to know half the things I say.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was Skywalker too informal? Should she call him General?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or was Anakin fine?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How much did Ashoka know about their friendship or was she just another jedi to fight the droids? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He has said a few choice phrases.” Ashoka laughs “Master Kenobi has hit him a few times.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now that I’d pay to see.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you’ll get to see it yourself soon enough.”  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter seven</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Meet the crew.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ship was huge, easily the biggest Zeerleah had ever been on, She’d even bet that she’d been on planets smaller. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And there was the bustle of life everywhere, It was quite overwhelming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There's a squad of clone troopers waiting for them, Zeerleah always feels off around clones, something about them makes her uneasy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe its the fact they’re all identical and it's impossible to tell what they’re thinking under those helmets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ashoka.” The head clone, one with short cropped blonde hair and a blue stripe painted on his armour. “And you must be the jedi General Skywalker sent for.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think I’d pick up the wrong person, Rex?” Ashoka responds </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not at all.” Rex responds, his eyes fixed on the blaster on Zeerleah’s belt “I just don’t see why a jedi needs a blaster.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“”You clones aren’t the only shooters around you know.”   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna have to ask you to hand it over.” </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah raises her eyebrows and looks at Ashoka.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I beg pardon?” She raises her arms “I can use a lightsaber but not a blaster?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only clones are permitted to carry firearms on board.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is a ridiculous rule.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Either you hand it over or I take it.” Rex steps forward</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah holds her ground, she’d feel naked without her blaster, she’d feel even more out of her depth than she already does. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Making friends already?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rex relaxes “General.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin joins the group, a smirk on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give Rex your blaster.” He commands Zeerleah “While part of my crew, you follow my rules.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah sighs and unhooks her weapon “Its a stupid rule.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hands it to the clone, who looks rather smug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You head off Snips, I’ll show Zeerleah around.” Anakin talks to Ahsoka “She’ll get you into trouble.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had it handled.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Better people than you have tried handling Zeerleah and failed.” Anakin shrugs “Now scram.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka frowns and walks away, Anakin grabs Zeerleah’s arm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, before you get into a fight.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Shorter chapters from here, just trying to get the plot moving.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter eight.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Revelations</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were on board for what?” Anakin asks as he and Zeerleah step into an elevator “A minute? A second? And you almost got arrested.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like not having a weapon.” Zeerleah folds her arms across her chest </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have your lightsaber.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I prefer my blaster.” Zeerleah stares at the metal door “Its saved my ass more.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What does your ass need saving from?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At her silence he continues his questioning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What were you doing while away?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah wonders what he thinks she was doing, did he imagine that she was living a nice happy life on a farm somewhere? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Did he think of her at all?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know...for a while….I thought you were dead.” He pauses “I thought if you were alive..you’d get in touch.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ani.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s that guilt again, screaming at her that she was a coward for never contacting him, she lied to herself, said it was because he would be angry at her for leaving.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Truth is she didn’t want him to try and convince her to return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t thinking straight..” She sighs “I thought…..that I was doing you a favor.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Doing me a favor?” He shrugs “If you had told me..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He trails off </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t answer, the elevator doors open and some of the ship's crew members enter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They mummer their hellos to Anakin and the elevator goes the last few floors in silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After what feels like an era, the doors open and Anakin walks out, Zeerleah follows him, not daring to ask any questions with so many listening ears around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Its silence until Anakin opens a door</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here’s your room..” he walks inside. “Its smaller than your room at the temple, bathrooms through there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room reminds Zeerleah of one of the many shes rented over the years, only its clean, almost clinical. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door closes with a hiss </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Door code is 6587.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ani.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He goes to leave the room, not wanting to have this conversation, not here, even behind a locked door things are never quite private.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What would he say anyway? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How could he express how worried he’s been about her these past five years? How he waited everyday for some glimmer of hope that she still lived and was out there, somewhere, living the life she dreamed of.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah grabs the sleeve of his robe and yanks him back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I had told you I planned on running away...What would you have said?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d have gone with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah drops his sleeve, of all the responses she never expected that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He would have left the order for her?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Skywalker, you’re needed on the bridge.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin’s communicator flashes to life on his wrist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“On my way.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Zeerleah can stop him, he's left the room, leaving her with so many questions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suppose they’d have to wait.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter nine</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Apologies. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After Anakin left, Zeerleah’s room had seemed to become far too small and cramped, so she left, She always had a way of finding a small dark corner to sit in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It's in a small corner near the Troopers bunks where Rex finds her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you lost Miss?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looks up from her datapad and shrugs, recognising the voice of the clone she almost got arrested by.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Depends, Am I allowed down here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose.” Rex walks towards her “General Skywalker is on the bridge if you were looking for him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah stands up and brushes her self down</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Ashoka?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Last I saw her she was heading to the mess hall.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” Zeerleah walks over to him and smiles softly “Rex, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Captain Rex..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah rolls her eyes “Captain Rex, Sorry about earlier..” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problem Ma’am..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Its your ship and I should follow rules.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had realised how rude she was at their first meeting, he was after all, just doing his job.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rex chuckles “I never expected a friend of Skywalkers to agree with rules.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Normally I don’t.” Zeerleah chuckles “But I’ve been told that Jedi are supposed to follow them.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She walks past the clone</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you around Rex.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Zeerleah walks away, she swears she can hear him mutter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Its Captain Rex.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter ten</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Questions</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka was the only other person on board Zeerleah felt like she could relax around, sure, she was younger and hadn’t been through the same life experiences as her, but maybe thats why she felt comfortable around her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was like talking to her past self, maybe she wouldn’t make the same mistakes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a smile, Zeerleah sits opposite Ashoka on one of the metal benches</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What sorta grub does this place have?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The plate in front of them seemed to be as bland and grey as the rest of the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing special, but it stops you from going hungry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is there anything special on board?” Zeerleah looks around the hall, at the clones dotted around, eating their meals and chatting. “Aside from us awe inspiring Jedi of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka laughs “Sadly we’re the most interesting things around here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well thats boring.”  Zeerleah rests her elbows on the table and then her head on her chin “Whatta you do for fun?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fun?” Ashoka raises an eyebrow “Between missions and briefings I barely get any sleep.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah feels sympathy for the girl, a child thrown into a war and given too much responsibility too fast. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about your training?” Zeerleah smiles “I remember when Anakin and I used to spar I’d always use it as an excuse to kick his ass for when he annoyed me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as his name leaves her mouth she wishes she could cram it back in, Anakin, it was too informal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All though, he had been informal with her after all and Rex had referred to her as ‘Skywalkers friend.’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka grins “You can beat him with a lightsaber?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah shrugs her shoulders “He’s a tad faster than me, but a swift kick to the groin always caught him by surprise.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka laughs “I’ll have to remember that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a lull in conversation, the chatter of the troopers fills the silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How long have you and Anakin known each other?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Since he came to the order.” Zeerleah sits back, straightening her back  “before he became Kenobi’s Padawan.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He...he has only mentioned you a few times.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The news that he's mentioned her even once almost knocks her off the bench in shock, after all, she wasn’t exactly the perfect success story that every Padawan should be told about. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When I left…” Zeerleah sighs “Well, I left a lot of things behind.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did the council throw you out?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah fiddles with her Lekku, a nervous habit from childhood, it had lost her more than a few credits in poker over the years and she wishes she could learn not to do it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.” She bites her lip “You’d been amazed how easy it is to disappear, galaxies a big place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why did you leave?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>plaining why she chose to leave the order was something Zeerleah had never thought she had to justify to anyone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had always assumed that once she left the temple, she’d one day get rid of her lightsaber and forget that part of her life, leave it a memory. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But that never happened, everytime she thought about letting the lightsaber go, it was like considering cutting off a limb, it seemed painful, so she put it off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How does she put into words how frustrated she was with the jedi? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How she hated the idea of being alone all of her life?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How she </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>who she wanted to spend her life with but that she also knew it would never happen?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or how even now, the idea of falling prey to the dark side shakes her to her very core?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had always been told she was good with her lightsaber and that the force was strong within her, if she had stayed in that unhappy state of mind it would have been so, so very easy to stray from the light.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had just been made a knight...and…..” She clears her throat “Well, I was bored.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That lie was so much easier to tell, shut down the topic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If Ashoka picked up on it, she doesn’t comment. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter eleven</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Action time.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>An ear splitting siren wasn’t how Zeerleah wanted to wake up from her deep sleep but it was what greeted her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Along with flashing red lights and the whole ship shaking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What in the fuck?” She pulls her trousers and stumbles towards the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the hallway outside, there’s troopers rushing around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You!” she points at one “Trooper, what's happening?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ships under attack, Ma’am..Droids have breached the hull.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before she can ask any further questions, The Trooper is gone, disappeared into the sea of white armour. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Droids?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had fought droids before, mostly bodyguards for criminals, maybe the odd stray battle droid left behind on a planet by the Separatists, but not on this scale. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In what must have been a record time, she's dressed and heading towards the bridge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It dawns on her, she's never killed anyone with her lightsaber.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She takes a deep breath and presses the button for the elevator, it doesn’t light up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course the power is out...why wouldn’t it be?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The communicator on her wrist flickers to life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leah, you there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t even think to question how Anakin got her coms frequency. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, the siren isn’t the most soothing sleep aid.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just left my room.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Droids are in the landing bay, can you make it to the bridge?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Elevators out but I can try.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, be quick.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The landing bay was only a few floors below her, She could hear the distant blaster fire, she could sense the cold leech of death in the back of her mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could do this, she’s done harder things. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The elevator doors were surprisingly easy to pry open, a safety measure perhaps, the walls were easy to scale. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She heard Anakin before she saw him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Our main objective is to get all droids off this ship before we engage the hyperdrive.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His voice was commanding, he sounded a lot older and a lot wiser, clearly he had done this before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Secondary objective is to get rid of those ships, the fighters should be able to handle that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sense of mild anxiety is radiating off everyone in the command station, like the heat of a fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Snips, I’m trusting you out there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t let you down out there, Master.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It dawns on Zeerleah whats happening, hes putting Ashoka in charge of the fighters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t be serious?” She steps out of the shadows “Ashoka is going to be in a space battle?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All the clones eyes are staring at her from behind their visors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She is your padawan!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She is also a commander.” Anakin turns to face her, slightly annoyed that for the second time that day she is going against the rules of his ship “She’s done this before.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t make it better!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Relax Zeerleah.” Ashoka steps forward “I know what I’m doing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, as if its the most normal thing in the world, Ashoka leads a squad of clones away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be down in the hanger.” Anakin walks towards Zeerleah “Keep me updated.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes General.” The clones echo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She is a child.” Zeerleah hisses as they leave the bridge “It is your duty as her master to protect her and teach her the jedi code, Not turn her into a soldier.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Duty?” Anakin scoffs “Don’t lecture me about the ways of the Jedi, Leah.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His words sting, but they hold no lies. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Its not until they’re a few floors down does Anakin speak</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you fought droids before?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s back to himself now, not the stern General, his voice is softer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A few times, Always with my blaster.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiles “Well, luckily for you, I’m a bit of an expert.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A very short chapter, I can't write fighting/action for the life of me, sorry.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter twelve.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Battle</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was amazing how after years of lying dormant, Zeerleah’s lightsaber skills still were as good as ever. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she sprung up from lying on the floor into a backflip she could almost hear Master Kano scolding her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re a jedi not a circus performer!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But being so active and flexible seemed to make fighting that much easier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The droid's head hit the floor before it could even register her arrival. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looks over at Anakin, a proud grin on her lips, it quickly disappears when he sees him cornered by three commando droids. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ani!” She shouts</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Its drowned out by the chaos around her as she runs towards him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her hearts pounding in her ears as she races across the hanger floor, deflecting on coming blaster fire without even thinking about it, her mind set on one thing:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saving Anakin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’s ten feet away when she watches him slice all three droids in half with a single swipe of his lightsaber, she skids to a halt, feeling foolish. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leah!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin’s voice calls across the hanger, she turns to see a grenade flying towards her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instantly she calls out to the force and stops it mid-air, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, the grenade flies back towards its thrower, the cluster of droids explode in a mess of flames and red hot metal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the exercise takes a lot of energy, feeling drained, Zeerleah’s legs fall from under her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before slipping away in the darkness, she feels her head hit the floor and a voice calling her name.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter thirteen</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Waking up</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Zeerleah opens her eyes, she's back in her bed, if it wasn’t for the bitter taste of bile in the back of her throat and the pain in her head that throbs with every beat of her heart, she would have thought the entire ordeal was just a dream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Welcome back to the land of the living.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin’s voice makes her jump, he’s sat in the chair next to a bare bones desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“W-Wha?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Trying to get her mouth to form words is like trying to run in mud, very tiring and frustrating. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You collapsed.” Anakin responds “Medic droid said it was low blood sugar due to lack of food.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stands up, he looks undamaged from the battle, aside from a cut on his cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She swallows hard “I must’ve forgot to visit the mess before going to sleep..” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can’t fight clankers on an empty stomach.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you care.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah sits up, aside from the headache, she feels fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin playfully scoffs “As if.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiles “You did good out there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And a compliment?” She laughs “Are you sure I’m not dreaming?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He walks towards the bed “Look...What I said before…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sits on the very end of the bed, almost hovering, like at a moment's notice he's going to stand up again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About you leaving.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pauses, is he really about to do this?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tell her how he actually felt, No still feels?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was pissed at you.” He sighs “But I’m glad you came back.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pats the mattress close to her legs and stands back up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah smiles “Me too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well...I’d better go..” he walks towards the doors “Gotta deliver my reports to the council..” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No rest for the wicked, Eh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckles “I’ll see you in the morning.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once hes in the hallway he pinches the bridge of his nose and takes a deep breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even if he did confess everything, what then?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s married and up until now, never thought about anyone else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But there she was, back in his life again like she never left. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It felt like a missing part of him was found.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He groans.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This is stupid, he has Padme. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah is just his best friend. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter fourteen.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter fourteen.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Dreams.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ani.” Zeerleah's voice was barely above a whisper.  “I love you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Aw Leah.” Anakin’s voice is in her ear, light as air “I love you too.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>His lips are soft against hers and there's a sweet taste that seems new and familiar all at once, his hands are on her bare skin, tracing every curve. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zeerleah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka’s voice was a shock, enough so that Zeerleah springs up, her cheeks feeling flushed, her heart racing in her chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anakin wanted me to bring you breakfast.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah notices the tray of food in front of the padawan</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was Anakin really that concerned that he was ordering his apprentice to be a caretaker?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re gonna need a lotta energy for the day ahead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At Zeerleah’s blank stare, Ashoka walks towards the bed </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got a brief about a smuggler on Tatooine, Master Kano suggested that you would have the skills to arrange a meeting.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve spoken to Master Kano?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He's the one who passed on the smuggler rumours.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please tell him you didn’t mention that I passed out.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He doesn’t know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah sits up and examines the tray of food, plopped in the centre is what looks a brown substance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dare I ask what this is?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Its made of oats and protein powder.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka makes herself at home in the desk chair</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Its not horrible.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And this?” Zeerleah points at the drinks container</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Some sorta juice.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great.” Zeerleah laughs “So we’ve got oat goo and some sorta juice.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka laughs “It doesn’t get much better I’m afraid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The spoon was made out of a thin metal and as she scooped up the food, it made a wet ‘Squelch’ noise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once past her lips, it wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever eaten, after all, food is food.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The food is slightly sweet and vaguely familiar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah freezes, its the same taste of Anakin’s lips from her dream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah is pulled back to reality </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This tastes like shit.” She sets the spoon back down “There, throw the rest in the trash and tell my nursemaid I ate it all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He cares about you a lot you know?” Ashoka stands up again “Its odd to see Skyguy act like a human.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Skyguy?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He calls me Snips, I call him Skyguy.” Ashoka dumps the remaining oat goo down the trash shoot “You must have a nickname for him, he loves ‘em.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah blushes “Ani..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You must be important to get away with calling him that.” Ashoka laughs “I tried it once and I thought he was gonna throw me outta the airlock.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She knows why its a nickname reserved for a select few, it was the nickname his mother gave hm and he misses her dearly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right..” Zeerleah gets out of the bed “Where are we meeting this smuggler?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka shrugs “No idea.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then could I perhaps have some privacy?” Zeerleah stretches, her body feels sore and her head still hurts slightly “I’m a grown woman, I can dress myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll meet you on the bridge.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter fifteen</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Deals</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mos Eisley wasn’t a place for the faint of heart, But Zeerleah had visited the place before, it was a place where everyone was ready to steal the clothes off your back and shoot you with your own blaster before selling it for parts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was where Master Kano had heard that the smugglers base of operations is. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Snips, keep your eyes open.” Anakin addresses his padawan “And keep a tight grip on your credit pouch.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For once, Anakin knows what hes talking about.” Zeerleah puts a arm around Ashoka’s shoulders “Make a note of it, its a rare occurrence.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka laughs </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is your home turf, Skyguy.” Zeerleah smiles “Should be you giving us the tour.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Its been ages since I came back to this dust bowl.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A wave of sadness rolls off Anakin, very subtle, but Master Kano always said she was more in tune with others than she let on.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t blame ya.” Zeerleah looks over her shoulder at Anakin and flashes him a smile “Any place that you came from has to be a shithole.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin frowns. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m the commanding officer in charge of this mission.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It means you have to be nice to him or he’ll write you up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh so my sarcasm gets me punished now?” Again Zeerleah looks over at Anakin “How fun.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something about the tone of her voice, or the battering of her eyelashes makes Anakin feel something, something deep down.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’re we gonna find our man?” Ashoka asks </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Observe, young padawan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah walks away from Anakin and Ashoka, to a shopkeeper, whos selling fruits. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell me.” She picks up a greenish yellow circle fruit “If I was in the market for some...antiquites, where would I get them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The shopkeeper eyes her suspiciously</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a tour guide, Tail-Head.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The words cause a flush of anger to run through Zeerleah, she knows it shouldn’t, shes used to it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come now, fifty credits..All I’m asking is for is directions.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pulls out a credit chit and places it on the table</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I’ll have two of these.” She throws the fruit in the air and catches it again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go to the Blue Sun.” The shopkeeper takes the credit chit “He’ll find you..Sometime after midnight.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My thanks.” She picks up another fruit and walks away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Any luck?” Ashoka asks as she returns.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatta you think I am?” Zeerleah throws her a fruit, which she catches with little effort “Blue moon, tonight.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah bites into the fruit, its very sweet, a welcome delight after that disgusting oat paste from the mess hall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But Snips, I think Ani and I should handle it.” Zeerleah licks the sweet juice from her fingers as she finishes her fruit “The Blue moon…..isn’t a place for a young padawan like you.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ashoka looks annoyed and looks at Anakin, who shrugs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If Leah is saying you shouldn’t be there, I believe her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashoka sighs “Yes Master.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter sixteen.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Nightlife.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tatooine was hot even after the sun went down, Zeerleah couldn’t understand how Anakin could still wear his full robes </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>cloak.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was in just trousers and a tank top and she was sweating. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If we’re not back by morning, get worried.” Anakin tells Rex as they step out of the ship on to the hot sand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right Sir.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“By morning eh?” Zeerleah raises her eyebrows as they walk away “You have something in mind?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I seem to remember you could never walk away from a bar without drinking at least half their stock.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah giggles, during their youth, They had always sneaked out and gone to bars, Even being underage they still had enough skill in the force to mind trick bouncers into letting them in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not that many seemed to care that they weren’t old enough, it was a fun time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin had always been far more reserved than her, always being the somewhat sober one who called them a taxi back to the temple and kept them safe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah’s love of club life had been matched by his love of street races, many a time had they won a load of credits in an illegal street race and then snuck into a bar to drink it all away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve grown since then.” Zeerleah grins “I can hold my drink now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin laughs “If you say so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>X</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bar was far sleazier than the bright dance clubs of downtown </span>
  <span>Coruscant, but Zeerleah had grown accustomed to places with faded blood stains on the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been here an hour and still no sign.” Anakin grumbles “I think you were ripped off.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah rolls her eyes “You think I’m that naive?” She picks up her glass of Blacksun whiskey and sips it “I can tell when someones lying.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have mastered mind reading?” Anakin takes a drink from his own glass. “Master Yoda will be impressed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah lightly kicks his shin under the table</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can pick up changes in emotions.” She smiles “So might as well be a mind reader.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The thought of her being able to read people makes Anakin uneasy, is that why she keeps making those flirtatious remarks? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I sense that you...Anakin Skywalker…” Zeerleah waves her hands up in front of him and closes her eyes “Need another drink.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin laughs “Right on the nose.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah calls over a server droid and asks for the same drinks again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As it hovers away, a figure approaches the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well well well.” The figure has a gruff voice “Little Miss ZeeZee Phys.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin gets ready to reach for his lightsaber, But Zeerleah opens up her arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oz!” She smiles “You scruffy bastard, haven’t seen you since you left me on that moon in the Ottega system.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In hindsight, Zeerleah should have realised that the smuggler was her one time partner in crime, Ozzo Zok.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blond haired human had remained the same in the year since they last met, only now he has a deep scar on the right side of his neck from his jaw down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My job was too get you </span>
  <em>
    <span>on </span>
  </em>
  <span>the moon not </span>
  <em>
    <span>off</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without invitation, Ozzo sits in the spare seat</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You look good for someone I left on a moon by the way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah blushes, Ozzo was one of the few people who actually knew who she was and why she was now a wandering mercenary, he was her first friend outside of the order, her first kiss, the first person she took to bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But they had agreed it was a casual thing, in that line of work you can’t afford anything else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The server droid returns and hands out Zeerleah and Anakin’s drinks, Ozzo orders his own before it whirls away again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, so..” Ozzo cracks his knuckles “What brings you to this rodent den?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gestures to Anakin</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not exactly the sorta place you bring a date, Zee.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Its business.” Anakin responds, gritting his teeth, he doesn’t like the way this ‘Oz’ is looking at Zeerleah. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t date Oz.” Zeerleah finishes her old drink and moves on to her second </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course not.” Ozzo leans back in his chair “So this...business...judging by the robes on chatterbox here.” Again he gestures to Anakin “It jedi?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you care?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeereah knows Ozzo isn’t a man for politics, if he didn’t like jedi he’d have ransomed those supplies back to the Separatists by now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really.” Ozzo shrugs “My morals are credits.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What a lovely way of life.” Anakin snarks </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ozzo ignores him </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eight thousand, half the price of what I was gonna sell ‘em.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The server droid returns, Ozzo takes his drink and downs it in one, placing it back on the server droid before it leaves.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you lemme come see you and catch up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin grits his teeth so hard there's a real fear his jaw might snap, he’s using Zeerleah as a bargaining chip?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Deal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah slams the chits on the table, Ozzo crams them in his pocket and stands up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then, my red skinned beauty, I bid you a goodnight.” He does a pair of finger guns towards Anakin “Chatterbox, lovely to be stared at by ya.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah laughs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll have them supplies sent to the correct people.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hes a asshole.” Anakin comments once he's sure Ozzo is out earshot </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That just makes Zeerleah laugh harder.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. To those who care *note from me*</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Explaining why there's been no updates.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hey all, tho those who are wondering why there's been no updates for over a month, it's because my laptop has broken so I have to do all my writing on my phone. </p><p>As soon as I can, I'll update this fic, but until then this fic is on hold. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter seventeen</span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">Misunderstood.</span>
</p><p>“Why so glum?” Zeerleah questions Anakin as they start walking back to the ship.</p><p>Theres a chill in the air now, Zeerleah regrets not bringing a jacket. </p><p>Anakin had been in a mood since Ozzo turned up, if Zeerleah didn’t know better, she’d think it was jealousy. </p><p>“Just...thinking.”</p><p>Zeerleah smiles “Thought I could hear something.”</p><p>Anakin chuckles and stops walking when he notices the goosebumps on Zeerleah’s skin.</p><p>“You’re cold.”</p><p>Zeerleah shrugs it off “I’m fine.”</p><p>“You’ve always been sensitive to cold.” </p><p>Part of the problem with growing up on a planet with a constant temperature is not being able to cope with any change in weather. </p><p>Before Zeerleah can protest, Anakin has taken off his cloak and put it on her. </p><p>Its huge, she feels like a youngling again.</p><p>Anakin can’t help but laugh.</p><p>“So it does laugh.” Zeerleah hits his arm “Finally.”</p><p>“I was laughing in the bar.” Anakin defends</p><p>“Yeah but it wasn’t reaching your eyes.”</p><p>Not that Zeerleah wanted to admit she was looking at his eyes. </p><p>“That..Oz guy..” Anakin starts walking again “How do you know him?”</p><p>“We worked together...he’s a friend.”</p><p>“A friend who left you on a moon?”</p><p>“He’s a merc Ani.” Zeerleah shrugs and moves her hands, the sleeves on the cloak flap stupidly. “I didn’t expect him to do anything other than what he was paid for.”</p><p>“But you’re close enough to barter your body for him?”</p><p>Zeerleah narrows her brow and frowns “What?”</p><p>“Back there, he knocked half the price off because he wants to sleep with you.”</p><p>Zeerleah laughs, Is that what he thought was happening?</p><p>Was that an insult to Ozzo or to her?</p><p>“Ani..” Zeerleah puts a hand on his arm “If Oz wanted to fuck me, He’d say it.”</p><p>Anakin’s cheeks flush at her using that word, of course she swears but in that context.</p><p>“Fuck me”</p><p>Force, he’d be hearing her say that for longer than he’d admit. </p><p>“Besides, I may be many things..” Zeerleah relaxes her face “But I’m not easy”</p><p>Anakin looks suddenly worried, he doesn’t want Zeerleah to think he was insulting her.</p><p>“Thats-” He sighs “I didn’t mean it like that.”</p><p>“Come on, I’m tired.” </p><p>And with that the topic of Zeerleah’s and Ozzo’s relationship is shut down just as quickly as it was brought up.</p><p>Because it was complicated, How could Zeerleah tell Anakin that he was the reason she couldn’t love anyone else? </p><p>That was a topic best left avoided. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Back again *author note*</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hello, it is I, I have returned, I have a new laptop and i am ready to party.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter eighteen</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Returning.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It isn’t until Zeerleah drags her feet over the threshold of her room that she realises she’s still wearing Anakin’s robe, </span>
  <span>She groans, she’s tired and Anakin’s quarters are on the other side of the ship. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll give it back in the morning.” She mummers as the doors close behind her.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sits on the bed and takes off her boots, the robe is very warm and soft.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It also smells nice, there’s the bland smell of the military issue soap mixed with something else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Musk, mixed with motor oil and leather. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Anakin.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It's like getting a hug from him, which makes her happy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It makes her feel safe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She takes off the robe and flings it on the back of the chair, feeling stupid, its just a garment, shouldn’t make her feel happy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She finishes undressing down to just her tank top and climbs into bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The smell of him still on her skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>                                                                                                                 X</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shower wasn’t the best, it was a far stretch from the nice warm bath she had back in the temple but the water was warm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It helped wash away the sand that had stuck to her skin and the sweat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Stars, she’d be happy to never return to Tatooine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The towel was rough and smells like disinfectant, but again, it's clean at least.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah brushes her teeth, wondering what culinary delight awaits her in the mess hall this time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last thing on her mind as the door slides open is Anakin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But here’s there, Sat on her bed waiting for her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ANI!” She jumps and grips the towel close. “Stars above..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.” Anakin suddenly becomes interested in his shoes. “I-I came for my robe and I heard you in the shower I didn’t wanna disturb you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you thought you’d sit on my bed and lurk?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.” Anakin repeats “I-I can wait outside.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it's fine.” Zeerleah makes sure her towel is done up extra tight before she steps forward “I have nothing to hide.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was the last thing Anakin wanted to hear, the very sight of her in only a towel was making his heart race and he was sure she knew.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just promise you’ll keep your eyes closed.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what Skywalker..” Zeerleah smirks “Turn around, I don’t trust you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin blushes and shifts so his head is facing the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thats insulting.” He mummers, closing his eyes anyway “I wouldn’t peak.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course not.” Zeerleah walks towards her drawers and opens the one containing her underwear “All though, best not to let the crew know their general is in the room of a naked merc.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not a merc.” Anakin replies, but either way, she’s right, he should have just waited to meet her at breakfast. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he wanted to make sure she was okay, after all, she had a habit of sleeping in and missing meals completely, he couldn’t ask Ashoka to bring her food </span>
  <em>
    <span>again </span>
  </em>
  <span>that would make it look like she had special treatment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Theres a few moments as Zeerleah dresses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Only broken by a sigh of frustration.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ani...can you give me a hand?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin’s eyes fly open “Huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My bra...I can't clasp it up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh...sure.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah had no problem with being practically naked in front of him, after all, he was her best friend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But she did wonder what his reaction would be, She had changed a lot since they were children. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pulls her lekku to the front so as to not disturb the straps.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She feels Anakin’s fingers brush against her skin, they’re still rough, She wonders if he still loves to fix broken things. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her skin was still soft, despite the scars dotted across it, Anakin had to remember to breathe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wanted to run his hands up and down all of her body, to feel its softness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here.” He does the clasp up “All done.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah turns around </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did always have skilled hands.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her voice is a whisper and she's looking into his eyes from behind those thick eyelashes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hasn’t seen her without makeup for a while, had her lips always been that pink? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She moves forward, going on tiptoes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They move together like magnets, their lips touch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There it was the sweet taste from Zeerleah’s dream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It's only the quickest touch before Anakin pulls away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He backs up, almost falling on to the bed in the process. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leaves the room without a word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaving Zeerleah staring after him, tears threatening to run down her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well fuck, she’d messed up this time, hadn’t she?</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter nineteen</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Thoughts.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anakin didn’t know where he was going, all he knew was he had to get as far away from Zeerleah’s room as possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why had he done that?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why hadn’t he just gotten his robe and left?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Obi-wan was right, he did do impulsive things without thinking them through.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was married.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He loved Padme. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then why was he still thinking of Zeerleah?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The way she had looked in that towel..skin still dewy from the shower. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mind kept playing images of what lay under that fabric.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The way she had looked up at him, the words from last night echoed around his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Fuck me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He needed to do something to take his mind off her, anything, he’d kiss a The </span>
  <span>Geonosian Queen if he had too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>                                                                                                                                   X</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah went to the mess hall, hoping she could find Anakin and somehow smooth things over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Make a stupid joke and laugh it off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Try and ignore the fact that it felt like he had ripped out her heart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he wasn’t there, Ashoka was, though and waved her over as she collected yet another spoonful of slop, this one was grey.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she walked over she decided the food wasn’t worth it and left the tray next a group of troopers, who just looked at her confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She made sure to keep the juice though, that at least didn’t look like it had already been digested.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Skyguy?” Ashoka asks as Zeerleah sits down “He said he was gonna check on you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He never showed.” Zeerleah replies, lying was a second nature to her after all, and seeing as Anakin’s robes still lay on the back of her desk chair, it would be easy to say he never showed up. “Must’ve gotten distracted.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’d it go last night?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah smiles, if there’s one thing Ashoka loves its asking questions.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Went pretty well, didn’t have to kill anyone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah let Ashoka talk as she drank her juice, She didn’t want to open her mouth in case sobs came out rather than words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had imagined kissing him for so, so long. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ever since she had realised that the feelings she had for him were deeper than friendship. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She never dared to act, it isn’t the Jedi way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Is that why he had recoiled?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was he reporting her to Master Kenobi even now?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ws Master Kano going to meet her at the temple, her belongings packed, telling her that her second chance was up?  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time would he take her lightsaber, casting her away for good?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Would Anakin laugh at how she had been so foolish and given in to her base desires?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once her juice was drunk, Zeerleah stood up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna go meditate…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It seemed as good an excuse as any, She needs to be alone, she’d rather breakdown in her room than in a canteen full of clone troopers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sadness is like an acid and its eating at her throat as she returns to her quarters.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It's the robe slung over the back of the chair that finally breaks her, as the doors hiss to a close, she sinks to her knees, sobbing.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm curious, are you guys actually interested in this? Lemme know your thoughts.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Chapter twenty</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Privacy </span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Master Kano was awaiting for Zeerleah on the landing dock of the Jedi Temple, but it was to tell her how proud he was that she had successfully made a deal and helped kill some droids. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could only force a smile and a thank you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been three days since the kiss and she had seen no sight of Anakin, his robe was packed into her backpack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her room seemed to be the best place to be, she didn’t have to worry about smiling, no one was here to pick up on her mood change. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Its as she finishes there’s a knock on the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she opens it, Anakin is standing there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I come in?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The awkwardness has returned, like the first time he had met her in this room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I have your robe..” She turns to walk over to the closet “If thats why you’re here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have loads.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grabs her wrist, she feels cold and looks down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Had he always had a robot hand? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You forgot to mention that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” he pulls it away “Oh...yeah…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckles “I lost it, Count Dooku cut it off.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah smiles, okay he isn’t mad, he seems happy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You seem very casual about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He flexes his robotic fingers “I’ve gotten used to it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still...If I had a metal hand I’d show it off.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckles again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah turns back to face him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you ain’t here for the robe, whatta you here for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin almost answers </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> but decides against it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been thinking...about us..” He looks at his boots again </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The kiss..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I made you uncomfortable I’m sorry.” Zeerleah walks over to the couch and sits down “I misread the situation.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t make me uncomfortable.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The couch dips as he sits next to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In fact I rather liked it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The voices in Anakin’s head are screaming at him to stop, but he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her, she's funny and knows everything about him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even after years apart, being back together was like none of it ever happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Besides, she was the total opposite of Padme, she was impulsive like him, she’d never scold him for acting rash.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’d never be away at Senate meetings or bore him with details about trade deals.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And..” His eyes flicker to her lips, today she's wearing her trademark black lipstick “If you’d allow it, I’d like to do it again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grins “I dunno...who says I wanna do it again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His face falls “Oh.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m joking stupid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He kisses her this time, pressing his lips to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Its more than a peck this time, its hungry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t quite realise how much he desperately wanted her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughs and gently pushes him away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I need to be woo’d, remember?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin smiles “I know a nice restaurant...how about dinner?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you have general stuff to do?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For one night I can put them on hold.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah stands up and walks towards the closet once again “Then take this and go.” She throws the cloak at him “I need to go buy something to wear.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that you telling me you want credits?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have money.” Zeerleah folds her arms across her chest “Oz charged us a lot less than the allowance we had to spend on those supplies…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That money is supposed to be spent on the war effort.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A nice dress can help the war.” Zeerleah smirks “Remind everyone what they’re fighting for.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well...as your commanding officer, I give you permission to go to the market district.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zeerleah raises her hand to her head in a salute “Of course, General.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>                                                                                                                              X</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Getting a taxi to the market district wasn’t very difficult, all though she did almost feel like she was breaking rules.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then again, no one had told her to stay at the temple, had they?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Master Kano hadn’t told her that he wished to see her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Somehow though, Zeerleah didn’t think that would win if it came down to argument. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>                                                                                                                                 X</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Master Kano tells me that Zeerleah is coming along quite well in her lessons.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Obi-Wan almost made Anakin jump out of his skin, he had been too engrossed in his datapad to hear him enter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And Rex tells me she saved your skin when the droids attacked the Resolute.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She didn’t have too, I had it under control.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know how she is, I’d have been more surprised if she didn’t try and help you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin spins in his chair “Master did you come here just to talk about Zeerleah’s skills?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I came to express my feelings that you two should be careful.” Obi-Wan looks at Anakin with a knowing glance “Friendship tends to cloud one's judgement on the battlefield.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It won’t get in the way.” Anakin sighs “I assure you, Master.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then I shall leave you to your reports.”</span>
</p>
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